Age-Season Adjustment Factors for Milk and Fat of Dairy Goats

Abstract

Milk and fat yield records on 3,481 lactations were obtained from a cooperating dairy goat herd in California to examine correction factors for age and season for milking does. Breeds were Alpine, LaMancha, Nubian, Saanen, and Toggenberg. Saanens had the highest average yield for all lactations for milk and fat, 977 and 34 kg. Nubians had the lowest yields but the highest fat percent, 3.8%. Milk and fat yield were influenced by age, month, and year of freshening of doe. The interaction of age of doe by breed was not an important source of variation for either trait, indicating one set of adjustment factors could suffice for all breeds. The highest milk and fat yield occurred in does /> 40 mo of age freshening in January and February.